The Garden, Ferguson, MIssouri

A closed coffee shop that had been a central gathering place for the Ferguson community is preparing to re-open in March as a space for connection and conversation. In 2019, Civil Righteousness, a non-profit founded by Jonathan Thomas, purchased the building. Today, they have renovated the coffee shop and cafe, added an art gallery designed for contemplation, as well as a commercial commissary kitchen which will offer affordable space to local food entrepreneurs. A mentorship program for local entrepreneurs will help revitalize the Ferguson community through economic growth.

ForOurLastNames, Tulsa Oklahoma

The vision of ForOurLastNames is to empower individuals to build wealth for their colliective last names - to build generational wealth. During the pandemic, Ray’Chel Wilson moved to Tulsa, OK to teach biology as part of Teach for America and found herself teaching the descendants of families who had thrived during the days of Black Wall Street. Struck by the current economic disparity, Ray’Chel designed her original curriculum to provide basic financial literacy for graduating high school students. This curriculum, informed by Ray'Chel's goal-based investing methods to pay off her student loans, was a hit and students showed a particular interest in learning how to invest. Ray’Chel created her first company, Raise the Bar Investments, as a resource for holistic financial literacy and as a step toward closing the racial and gender wealth gaps.  ForOurLastNames is an app that will support first-generation investors in building education & wealth.

North Texas TRANSportation Network , Fort Worth, Texas

The North Texas TRANSportation Network (NTTN) provides travel and relocation grants to North Texas families seeking out-of-state health care for trans and gender-diverse minors or seeking to relocate because of issues such as lack of access to health care or bullying. Led by Cynthia Daniels, the vision is to ensure that every transgender and gender-diverse minor in North Texas has access to the healthcare they need, regardless of geographical barriers. Families are supported through $1000 travel grants and recently added $3000 moving grants, which alleviate some of the financial burdens that often accompany seeking healthcare beyond state lines.

Gracefull Grind Strategies, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Ebony Smith is the CEO and Founder of Gracefull Grind Strategies, a digital marketing agency transforming how organizations engage with and mobilize their communities online. She combines data-focused strategic marketing with visual storytelling to help nonprofits and community organizations expand their reach and impact. Through her work with changemakers in education, community public safety, public health, and family social service, she amplifies voices that need to be heard and activates people ready to create change. Her approach supports organizations in historically underserved areas that desire to positively shift narratives in their neighborhoods. 

Andrée Collective, Philadelphia, PA

Andrée Collective serves female survivors of complex trauma who have fled situations of intimate partner violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in a two fold manner: employment and therapy. Founded by Samantha Mathews. Andrée Collective offers professional job training in various aspects of the wedding industry while also providing group and individual evidence-based trauma therapy with licensed mental health professionals.

Survivors partner with and learn from event professionals in various aspects of the wedding industry, while completing professional training and goal-focused career coaching. In addition to employment, survivors engage in regular group and individual evidence-based trauma therapy with licensed mental health professionals. Combining therapy with employment allows for a unique trauma-informed environment where survivors work and heal in a  compassionate, empowering setting.